Rainproof hood-cover for automobiles



G. F. MANSFIELD. RAIN PROOF HOOD COVER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1919.

Patented Dec. 6, 192 1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY I G. F. MANSFIELD.

RAIN PROOF HOOD COVER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATLON FILED APR. H, 1919.

1,399,35 Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

2 SHEETS -SHEET 2.

retractible hood UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. MANSFIELD, OF PASCAGOULA, M ISSISSIPPI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, near.

Application filed April 11, 1919. Serial No. 289,397.

To all whom it may 0012 cam:

e it known that I, GEORGE F. MANSFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pascagoula, in the county of Jackson and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Rainproof Hood-Cover for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to rain-proof hood covers for automobiles and its object is to provide means whereby access of rain through the joints between the hood and the body of the automobile is prevented, with the cover forming a permanent part of the automobile and without necessitating removal of the cover in order to readily open and close the hood. V

In automobiles, hoods are provided to cover various essential parts of the automobile and are jointed structures so that ready access to such parts may be had whenever required. The joints and hinges which become necessary to provide for the ready opening of the hood also afford ready access to rain water and such rain water is frequently detrimental to. the proper working of the electrical side of the automobile, because giving rise to short circuits or leaks which in some instances are serious enough to put the electrical side of the vehicle entirely out of commission.

The invention provides an extensible and cover which, when extended, entirely covers and protects the hinges and joints of the hood from access of rain water where such access is harmful, and when the hood cover is retracted it is so far out of the way as to interfere in nowise with the opening and closing and even the removal of the hood. The cover, when in the retracted position, is located on the forward part of the automobile body forward of the windshield and either above or below such portion of the body. The cover is so shaped and has such an area and degree of extension as to protect spark coils where located under the front of the body, distributing conductors where disposed on the dash and under the hood, and spark plugs where so situated on the automobile engine as to be liable to be affected water finding access hood. I

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description by accumulations of thereto through the taken in conr'ection with the accompanying drawings forming of this specification, with the understan ing, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of an ex tensible and retractible hood cover arranged as a permanent attachment to the automobile, the structure being shown with the cover in the retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the, hood cover extended.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on the near side of thecenter line, of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form,

ig. 5 is a plan View of the extended hood cover attached at its forward end to the filling tube of the radiator, said filling tube being shown in cross section. I

Fig. 6 is a section onthe line 66 of Fig. 4. l

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of F i n 6. i

Feferring to the drawings, there is shown the forward portion 1, the hood 2 and the radiator 3 of an automobile body, the radiator being also shown as provided'with the usual filling tube. 4. Hoods ordinarily have a longitudinal central hinge connection 5 and the sides of the hood each have another longitudinal hinge connection 6 with the top portion thereof so thatcither side of the hood may be raised and folded back to GX- pose the interior mechanism usually covered by the hood. lVhere the hood meets the body portion 1 there is a joint 7, and where it meets the radiator there is a joint 8. The hinge connections 5 and 6 and the joint 7 even though the joint 7 be provided with packing upon which the hood rests, thereare almost always spaces where rain water will beat in or slmply gravitate into the interior of the hood.

The result is that electric wires, spark coils, and spark plugs located cover.

the automobile or cuts out one or more cylinders, causing irregular running of the automobile.

To obviate these difficulties there is pro vided a hood cover 9 which may consist of a sheet of water proof flexible-material,.such as is used for side curtains on automobile tops and for other pruposes about automobiles, or any other suitable material may be employed.

On the body member 1 backofthe hood there is secured, in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a casing 10. which may be of elongated cylindrical form with terminal brackets 11 so arrangedthat they may be readily secured to the body member bolts 12 or otherwise, the boring of holes for the passage of the bolts-11 representing the.

only Work required upon the automobile to permit Within the casing10 there is.mounted a roller 13 which maybe of the same character asfa well known type of spring shade roller. Attached to this roller is the rear end of the cover v9, which appears spread out in plan. view, together with-the roller, in Fig. 5. Since automobilehoods: of present type taper toward thewfront end, the cover 9 may correspondinglytaper. Such a cover being relatively wide at the rear end and narrow at the'front end willreadil-yroll filling nozzle to the top of the. radiator or casing essary to pass,

up on the roller 13 and may be. as readily withdrawn therefrom. This cover is long enough toreach fromthe roller 13 to or very close to the radiator filling pipe 4. The front edge of "the cover 9 has .a stiffening strip 14 applied thereto and this stiffening strip may have a sufficient bend to conform to the top of the hood close to the radiator where-such parts are normally curved, or thisstrip may be otherwise shaped to agree with the. shape of the hood, or radiator, or both. Pivotally fast to the strip 114; is oneiend of ahook 15 of a length and curvature to. passabout the filling pipeor nozzle 4. The other endof therhook or loop 15 is shaped to engage about a in 16 on the;strip 14 andv thus hold the hoo cover in the extended position. On releasing the hook or loop :15 from about the 4 the spring. roller will draw the cover into the casing 10 .untilstopped by the engagement of the strip 14 against the body member 1 and theubottomedge of the 10 which is spaced. from the body member 1 only tosuch extentas may be nechehood cover, thus avoiding liability of rainbeating in at suchpart. In order to. avoid damage to the coverl9 when moving 'nto and outofthe casing 10, the

latter, where acent tothe body member 1, is fonmed with a longitudinalvbead 17 To IWQld the thinnesofflatemtothe space be-' edge bearupon wound will have a short life.

the attachment thereto of: the hood plainview. i v

toprovideahoodcoverstructurei "particularly adapted to automobiles when shed substantially all find its way into joints '5, 7 and 8.

delivered cloth,.of a sufficient width to have its lower the body member 1.

As seen in Fig. 3, the upper face of the cover s'crapesor rubs against the bead 17 when theicover is either withdrawn from or wound upon the spring roller. This engagement of the cover-and the beadhasjthe practical advantage in that as the cover 13 up on the spring roller its upper surface which might be laden with moisture or with dust is wiped off. 1 Obviously if the cover is rolled up while wet'it will rot and By designing the spring roller in relation to the bodyso that the bead wipes the surface of the cover clean the drops of moisture are wiped offandthe cover-has a longer life. I i I In the structure of Fig. 1 and a-ssociated figures means are provided whereby the hood cover may be obtained as an attachment and be applied to-existing automobiles without any change except the boring of holes for the bolts 12- This of course hecessitates the exposure of'the casing 10 in In order manufactured, the arrangement of Fig-4 and associated figures may lee-provided. The body portion 1 of the automobile has 'a crosswise lip19at the forward end-a-short distance backflofy the radiator cover, thus providing a passageway 20 to the space under the top o'fthe "forward end of'the body.

portion of the forward end of the body are Fast to the underside of the upper roller brackets 21 of-thetype adapted to the spring roller 13, and the cover 9' is carried through the passage 20' and onto;- the roller 13 supported in the brackets 21. In other respects the arrangement is the sameas that shown 1n Fig. 1 and associated figures, and the same reference numerals are used 1n Fig.

'4: and associated figures for those parts which are the same as those which have been described with referenceto Fig. 1.

It will be clear that the hood cover shown in the first three figures ofthedrawing w ll water which might The modified form of Figs. 4, 6 and 7 will also protect these joints. The'passage 20 is narrow so that it is almost impossible for any water to passv between the lip 19 and cover 9; but should any water so pass,*it will be back of the roller 13', and away from'the electrical parts of the machine.

What is claimed is A rainproof cover for an automobile hood,

comprising a-fleXible-section, a spring-roller to which one endofthe flexible "section-is" ttached, a casing 1 Ol1':l16 spring roller" attached at its ends to the forward end of the body of the automobile, said casing having an edge spaced from said body and provided with a bead, the upper side of the flexible section engaging the said bead when the section is being withdrawn from or returned to the casing, and a watershed provided on the rear of the casing, said watershed comprising a strip of flexible waterproof material and adapted to bear upon the body portion of the vehicle to divert water from beneath the casing, said flexible section having a stiffening strip at the outer edge, said stiffening strip engaging between said bead and said hood when the section 15 is wound upon the spring roller. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto iaflixed m slgnature.

GEO. F. MANgFIELD. Witnesses:

GIOVANNI RAGUSIN, E. VIELLON. 

